Translation guide
A person who has spoken a language from early childhood. In Japanese, this is usually expressed with a noun phrase. The most common term is ネイティブスピーカー, but more natural Japanese alternatives exist.
母語話者
native speaker (formal)
Referring to someone who learned a language as their first language, especially in contexts like language teaching or proficiency.
The most direct and widely understood loanword. Common in language learning contexts.
彼は英語のネイティブスピーカーです。
He is a native speaker of English.
Shortened form, very common in casual conversation. Can also mean 'native' in other contexts.
あの先生はネイティブだから発音がきれいだ。
That teacher is a native speaker, so their pronunciation is beautiful.
Formal, academic term. Literally 'mother tongue speaker'. Used in linguistics and official contexts.
この研究では母語話者と学習者を比較した。
This study compared native speakers and learners.
Literary or emphatic expression meaning 'speaker from birth'. Rarely used in everyday speech.
彼女は生まれながらの話者としての直感を持っている。
She has the intuition of a native speaker.
Specifying which language someone is a native speaker of.
Standard pattern. Insert the language name (e.g., 英語, 日本語).
日本語のネイティブスピーカーを探しています。
I'm looking for a native speaker of Japanese.
Formal version of the above pattern.
英語の母語話者による添削を受けた。
I received corrections by a native English speaker.
Describing someone's proficiency as being like a native speaker.
Means 'native-level'. Commonly used to describe high proficiency.
彼の日本語はネイティブ並みだ。
His Japanese is native-level.
More formal equivalent of ネイティブ並み.
彼女は母語話者レベルの英語力がある。
She has native-speaker-level English ability.
In casual speech, ネイティブ often means 'native speaker'. However, it can also mean 'native' in other contexts (e.g., ネイティブアメリカン 'Native American'). Context usually makes it clear.
ネイティブにチェックしてもらった。
I had a native speaker check it.